Police accident reports – opinion or fact?

Police accident reports – opinion or fact?

byRaymond ArditoonJanuary 15, 2015

When a new client walks into my office, I have heard these words uttered many times: “This police report is wrong!” People who are involved in automobile accidents naturally expect that a police report will reflect the facts, or at least everyone’s different versions of the facts. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Not to worry. This is just the beginning of our legal journey, and one great reason to call us.

Police officers rarely witness an accident. They are usually called after the accident already occurred. Statements may be taken and factual observations may be made. However, this does not mean they are all the statements, truthful statements or that they are taken down accurately. Observations may lead to conclusions, but it does not mean they are the right conclusions.

It is important to know that you can request that a police report be amended. While this is at the discretion of the police officers, it is worth a trip to the precinct that took the report to attempt to remedy missing or inaccurate information. If the police are unwilling to do this, have no fear, we are here! The legal system is designed to test these statements and observations in an effort to determine the truth. Your case is not won or lost based on the content of the police report, but rather what really happened.

A police report is an important step in securing information regarding your case and the police should always be called following an accident. If the report is wrong, you may be able to get it amended. However, where amendments fail, justice can still prevail.

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